Making a beeline: Visitors standing in a queue to enter the Bee Museum at the Tringkap Bee Farm.
IPOH: A bee farm set up decades ago is expected to be demolished amid conflicting views by the owner and the authorities.
Located a stone’s throw away from the Rose Garden, the Tringkap Bee Farm consists of a museum, souvenir corner, honey production area, as well as a small strawberry and vegetable farm.
It is well-known for its bee show, which involves covering the owner, Leong Chee Kin, with bees.
Leong, 45, who is also the Tringkap village chief, said his grandmother founded the business decades ago.
He then took over the farm from his father, which he has been running on a temporary occupation license (TOL) until 2020.
“From 2020, I have been paying RM3,024 yearly to the Cameron Highlands Development Corporation (PKCH) for land leases for agriculture use,” he said when contacted.
However, he said that five people claiming to be enforcement officers from Kuantan visited his farm on March 14 and told him that the structures and the farms would be demolished tomorrow.
“I am not sure which department they represented but they only gave verbal notification, without any notice issued or proper explanation given,” he claimed.
On March 15, Leong filed a police report at the Brinchang police station, claiming that the local authorities had not provided him with a proper explanation of the situation.
Tanah Rata assemblyman Ho Chi Yang said the officers that visited the farms were from the Pahang State Enforcement Unit (UPNP).
He said the unit, which has been directly under the state government since 2019, had issued verbal warnings about developments on state land.
The Cameron Highlands District and Land Office responded to the issue on Saturday, stating that enforcement action would be taken against two farms, Tringkap Bee Farm and LMY Aloe Vera Vege Farm.
The statement sent to The Star said demolition works would only be carried out if the farmers failed to dismantle the structures themselves within 27 days, from Feb 27 to March 25.
“Verbal notices were given three times by the UPNP on Feb 27, March 7, and March 14.
“Under Section 425 of the National Land Code, it is not compulsory for the government to issue any notice for such an action.“The TOL approval is conducted yearly. Licence holders have been informed that they are required to vacate the area when instructed by the government.“The farmers that developed the stalls at the site do not have approval to do so.“The government, however, has taken additional initiatives for the welfare of the farmers.
“Although the government is not obliged to do so for premises that have no TOL, expired ones, or have been stopped from using (such) permits,” read the statement.
It was stated that the farmers involved in the operation were offered alternative sites in the form of agricultural land by Pahang Corporation Sdn Bhd in Tringkap, measuring 1.2ha compared to the current land that they are occupying, which is only 0.4ha – more than enough to plant vegetables and fruits such as strawberries, as well as to make room for running a bee farm.
“The lease with PKCH is for 30 years but the approval is subject to cancellation or withdrawal for purposes related to any government projects,” added the statement.
